Been sick for a while so I got behind on the reviews.
BLOOD TIDE, 1982 color (though mostly really dark nights)
Going by the title, I’m guessing lots of people die in the ocean. Let’s see, stupid American couple looking for guy’s sister, Madelaine (who’s become a bit loony), find her working with an American “archaeologist”, Frye (James Earl Jones! Ahhh, that voice….). As in, treasure hunter. He blows open a sealed doorway and releases a creature that first kills Bahrbahrah (“Call me Babs”). Hmm, lots of untranslated conversations in Greek, maybe something important, maybe not? We’ll never know. Also, why is a virgin sacrifice always female? Few words are spoken, but there’s a lot of significant glances and inferred information. Anyway, it seems the villagers are starting to line up virgins to prepare to sacrifice to the sea creature. Ahha! The plot finally arrives. Madelaine appears to be a virgin and destined to be sexually sacrificed to the creature. To appease it, I guess. Brother rescues her while Frye recites Othello lines, Frye blows himself and the creature up, brother and sister share a very non-sibling kiss (the heck??), and the American leave. As usual, they came, created havoc, trampled over customs, and left destruction in their wake. You know, there is something to be said for a verbal plot exposition to help the audience feel like they are at least part of the experience, rather than just randomly hit by a bus and left to figure the rest out for themselves. Not as many people died in the ocean as we were led to believe.
Favorite lines:
Narrator (read in a breathy, yet excited, voice): “The ancients knew how to placate the ancient beast that lurked beneath the waves. Sacrifice. Virrgin sacrifice.” The extra ‘r’ in virgin is accurate, according to our overly excited narrator.
Sherry: “Dionysis, as in the god of wine and theater? That’s really neat to have an innkeeper named Dionysis who sells wine. How Greek.”
Mayor: “You’re on Greek soil.” Snap! Stupid American.
THE BRAIN MACHINE, 1977 color
I don’t really have much hope for this movie as it is presented by PC (Power and Communications, Inc.). A shady government science experiment that seems to be selecting volunteers that have no family. Hmmm… Dr. Krisner tries to get documentation out to a Senator to blow the lid wide open on The Brain Machine, but the Senator knows about it. Krisner’s killed by a government hit squad. The five volunteers are required to sleep in this sterile facility. And then we are in a mansion with a cobbled-together communication system. Then back to the high-tech lab. Apparently the computer is bringing up questions that keep upsetting and bringing forth expositions from their past. Now the computer is taking over the experiment and…what the hell? I have no idea what’s happening. One of them hung herself for no reason. Now the walls are closing in, one strangled another, lots of electrocutions and a gunshot to the face. Well, that’s just…wow. I..I guess it’s some sort of morality tale about how we should not know the inner thoughts of man? Maybe? Either that or it’s telling us to be very afraid of volunteering for scientific experiments. Oh, and to fear our government. Sheesh. I think I’m going to go hide under my covers for a while after this one. Here’s…here’s the Favorite lines:
Scientist: “She’s kinda cute. Kinda dumb too. Just my type.” You are a model of suave, sir.
Scientist: “The subjects are all wrong for the project. It simply won’t work.”
Government Stooge: “Make it work.” OOOhh, I see now sir. Make it work. Well that solves all the issues we were going to have with our subjects.
Subject: “You’ll kill me before I die.” Um, I…what? That makes no sense.